City comparison
Boulder, CO vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Boulder, CO are 11.1% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $111,100 in Boulder, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,795 a month in Boulder, CO versus $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 29% of take-home pay in Boulder, CO and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Boulder, CO than in San Antonio, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.0% moving from Boulder, CO to San Antonio, TX ($118,675 → $108,001), while prices change by −10.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.1% in real buying power.
- Boulder, CO: price level 105.2 (pricier)
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boulder, CO | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.2 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,033 in San Antonio | $111,071 in Boulder |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,795/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 29% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $69,580 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Denver-Aurora, CO | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Boulder, CO MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boulder, CO and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boulder | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 157.0 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 82.7 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 105.2 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boulder, CO → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
100 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Boulder, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.0%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
32 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Boulder, CO is in the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Boulder, CO to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boulder, CO | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Boulder → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,819 | $62,629 | +1.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,265 | $75,776 | +1.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,800 | $90,823 | +1.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,675 | $108,001 | +1.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,239 | $127,624 | +1.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boulder, CO | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Boulder dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $154,990 | $122,560 | $136,129 (−12.2%) |
| Software Developers | $164,560 | $128,430 | $142,648 (−13.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,990 | $78,650 | $87,357 (−12.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,290 | $94,370 | $104,818 (+1.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.